Winner will appear in Taste of Home magazine, cook with Carla Hall, and take home $25,000

Quarter-Finalist

Tonya Saunders

First started cooking age 4 - over 60 years ago. My friends and family visit with a list of foods they want me to prepare lol!

Currently 9

in the Quarter-Finals

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You decide who will appear in Taste of Home magazine, and win $25,000!

Voting for Semi-Finalists ends Thursday the 23rd of July at 7PM PDT

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What is your signature dish?

My signature dish is a southern style cube-steak, smothered in slow, cooked onions, and rich savory gravy over a bed of creamy mashed potatoes with a side of tender glazed carrots. A true comfort dish that brings people together.

Who is your culinary inspiration?

My Mom was my first culinary inspiration. As a coal miner‘s daughter from Southern West Virginia, I grew up watching her turn simple ingredients into comforting, memorable meals. She taught me early how to cook with care and purpose. Our home was often filled with the preacher and Church elders on Sundays, and her table was always a place of warmth, generosity, and love lessons I carry into every dish I make.

What would you do with the $25,000?

If I won the $25,000, I would use it to honor where I come from, while investing where I’m going. First I would put a portion towards preserving and sharing southern Appalachian comfort food traditions, especially recipes passed down from my Mom. Second I would invest in culinary growth. Third I would dedicate part of the funds to community giving especially food insecurity. Creating a legacy, growth and community, by using food to tell a story.

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